Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Has $33.03 Million Stock Holdings in Palo Alto Networks, Inc. $PANW

Key Points

• Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its Palo Alto Networks stake by 7.9% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 179,314 shares valued at about $33.0 million.
• Palo Alto Networks reported strong fiscal-quarter results, with EPS of $0.85 beating estimates and revenue of $3.0 billion topping forecasts, while revenue rose 31.1% year over year.
• Wall Street sentiment remains broadly positive, with multiple analysts raising price targets and the consensus rating staying at Moderate Buy with an average target of $306.29.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW - Free Report) by 7.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 179,314 shares of the network technology company's stock after purchasing an additional 13,163 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.'s holdings in Palo Alto Networks were worth $33,029,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Steph & Co. increased its stake in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 88.2% during the 4th quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 143 shares of the network technology company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Knuff & Co LLC acquired a new position in shares of Palo Alto Networks during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Sittner & Nelson LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 73.8% during the 4th quarter. Sittner & Nelson LLC now owns 146 shares of the network technology company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. Finally, Luken Investment Analytics LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Palo Alto Networks by 196.2% during the 4th quarter. Luken Investment Analytics LLC now owns 154 shares of the network technology company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the period. 79.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Palo Alto Networks Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:PANW opened at $272.05 on Friday. The company's 50 day moving average price is $205.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $186.58. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has a 12-month low of $139.57 and a 12-month high of $302.95. The firm has a market cap of $221.72 billion, a PE ratio of 222.99, a PEG ratio of 10.28 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, June 2nd. The network technology company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.06. Palo Alto Networks had a net margin of 7.95% and a return on equity of 10.53%. The firm had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.37 EPS. The business's revenue was up 31.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Palo Alto Networks has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.770-3.790 EPS and its Q4 2026 guidance at 0.960-0.980 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Palo Alto Networks, Inc. will post 2.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $330.00 target price (up from $255.00) on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $340.00 target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $220.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. FBN Securities reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $330.00 target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks in a report on Wednesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Palo Alto Networks from $270.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-seven have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Palo Alto Networks currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $306.29.

Key Palo Alto Networks News

Here are the key news stories impacting Palo Alto Networks this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains broadly constructive, with multiple firms raising price targets after earnings, including targets of $207 to $360 and several firms reiterating positive forecasts for PANW. HSBC adjusts price target on Palo Alto Networks
• Positive Sentiment: FBN Securities upgraded Palo Alto Networks from “outperform” to “strong-buy,” adding to the bullish analyst backdrop. FBN Securities upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles note that PANW’s strong AI security narrative and recent earnings beat have kept the long-term story intact, even as the stock has cooled after its sharp rally. Barron's on Palo Alto Networks rally
• Negative Sentiment: Cybersecurity peers, especially CrowdStrike, sold off after earnings, and that weakness spilled over to PANW as investors demanded clearer proof of AI monetization and more room for upside after the rally. CrowdStrike sinks, weighing on Palo Alto Networks
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary argues PANW’s stock has run too far too fast, suggesting valuation concerns and profit-taking are pressuring shares despite solid fundamentals. Seeking Alpha on Palo Alto Networks valuation

Insider Activity

In other Palo Alto Networks news, EVP Dipak Golechha sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.42, for a total transaction of $802,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 150,250 shares in the company, valued at $24,103,105. This represents a 3.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Josh D. Paul sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.40, for a total transaction of $177,540.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 83,136 shares in the company, valued at $13,418,150.40. This represents a 1.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 72,076 shares of company stock worth $17,930,587. Insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Palo Alto Networks Profile

Palo Alto Networks NASDAQ: PANW is a cybersecurity company founded in 2005 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The firm develops a broad suite of security products and services designed to prevent successful cyberattacks and protect enterprise networks, clouds, and endpoints. Built around a platform strategy, its offerings target threat prevention, detection, response and governance across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

The company's product portfolio includes next‑generation firewalls as a core on‑premises capability, alongside cloud‑delivered security services and software for securing public and private clouds.

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